About Us

About: San Japan, LLC, formed in fall 2005, is a fan-run organization tasked with providing a yearly Japanese Anime Focused Convention, which supplies high-quality education and entertainment for our attendees in a safe and fun environment. Along with that, we also promote the acceptance and appreciation of anime as well as other participating fandoms in South Texas. The inaugural three-day convention was held in San Antonio, Texas on August 8-10, 2008.

Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide an opportunity for all participating cultures and participants to come together in appreciation of Japanese animation and other unique aspects from surrounding Asian and fan cultures, which associate with this convention event.

History

San Japan was started in late 2005 by a collective group of volunteers who wanted to work together in bringing a different type of Japanese fan & animation convention to San Antonio, Texas. A hotel host location was decided by the original management and planning was started to work on San Japan [1.0] with the initial intention to debut in July 2007. However, due to issues with the chosen host location, it was decided by the acting chairman to postpone the event to ensure that San Japan makes a grand debut which the attendees deserve in the Alamo City.

To make up for the postponement, a one-day event was organized at Our Lady of the Lake University called San Japan: Zero Day Anime to give people a sample of what to expect for the main convention. Over 800 people attended this event. This event was later spun off to be its own convention which is now run by the Mizuumi Anime Club called Mizuumi-Con.

It was decided for the grand debut convention to be held at simultaneous locations at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium & El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel to be held in August 2008. After an additional year of planning, San Japan 1.5 premiered on the San Antonio Riverwalk. It was a success with over 3500 attendees at the convention. Afterward, planning was immediately started for the second year which was called San Japan 2.x. This convention happened in mid-August 2009 with 4003 attendees. In its next two subsequent years, upon moving to another location at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel, San Japan showed continued growth with attendance reaching nearly 7000 attendees by 2011.

Starting in 2012, San Japan moved to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and the San Antonio Grand Hyatt Hotel. It is the largest hotel & convention center within the San Antonio city limits. Beginning in 2015, San Japan will be adding the Marriott Riverwalk hotel. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center will be San Japan’s permanent location with conventions already contracted until at least 2018.

Dates Of Conventions

San Japan : Zero Day Anime – November 10th, 2007 [Program Book – PDF] – Our Lady Of The Lake University [Attendance: 815]